Will pump pain kill journalism?

[chigurdaddy]

The likes of Singleton and Zell are doing their part, to be sure. But if and when a newspaper's obituary is written (probably on a craigslist post), coroners may determine skyrocketting gas prices to be the ultimate cause of death.
Gas prices are killing the business on multiple fronts, draining already shrinking household incomes, and creating a trickle-up effect that hurts retailers who no longer can afford to advertise to the few remaining readers we have.
But for those of us living on barely subsistence wages (I'm guessing about 90 percent of us), $4.20 a gallon is creating major hardship. If you commute 40 miles to work - and many of us have travel further - five times a week, you're spending $400 a month in a car that averages 20 mpg. That's almost five grand a year, that you have to earn about $7,000 (pretax) to cover. If you have bridge/tunnel tolls, it's even worse.
Exacerbating the problem is reduced travel, that's ostensibly cut our salary.
There seems to be no relief in sight. $5 gas doesn't appear to be far off, and $10-12 in years to follow.
And considering the precarious state of our industry, I'm not sure this is the best time to be asking for a raise.
Only idea I can come up with is editors cutting us a little more slack, allowing us to telecommute.

 

[JBHawkEye]

I've encouraged my people to work from home if they can.

And we're already looking at alternative travel (taking the train to Chicago, for example, for Big Ten football media days) or cutting some road trips.

 

[Idaho]

An aspect many do not consider -- delivery workers are quitting because they are making less (fewer subscribers) while spending more (gas prices).

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

An aspect many do not consider -- delivery workers are quitting because they are making less (fewer subscribers) while spending more (gas prices).

And newspapers are using it as an excuse to cut circulation in outlying areas for the same reason. They go hand in hand.

 

[Shoeless Joe]

I've been saying around here for some time now that when the carriers get smart and figure out that they losing money by delivering the paper, they're gone. Fortunately, most of the ones we have aren't that sharp.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

When sportschick leaves the business, we'll know that pump pain is well and truly hurting us.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Newspapers need to get in line behind about 10,000 other industries that are way more affected by the price of oil.

 

[DanOregon]

And its not like gas stations advertise. About the only bright spot is the increased use of public transit, which must help readership.

 

[chigurdaddy]

And its not like gas stations advertise. About the only bright spot is the increased use of public transit, which must help readership.

Great point about public transit. Hadn't thought of that. But I still think papers are going to have to start letting reporters, even editors, telecommute a few days a week to keep the profession viable. If it still is.

 

[FileNotFound]

And its not like gas stations advertise. About the only bright spot is the increased use of public transit, which must help readership.

Great point about public transit. Hadn't thought of that. But I still think papers are going to have to start letting reporters, even editors, telecommute a few days a week to keep the profession viable. If it still is.

Maybe we can put bundles of papers on the bus and have the drivers drop 'em off at the racks.

 

[jfs1000]

An aspect many do not consider -- delivery workers are quitting because they are making less (fewer subscribers) while spending more (gas prices).

Our place has had a blood bath with delivery people. We have routes open all over the place. Can't be filled. We raised the price of the paper, but didn't pass it on to the folks who deliver it.

For a suburban paper like ours that has a high home delivery rate, it is nearing catastrophic proportions.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

I can lay out the paper and take calls from home. It wouldn't be that hard or expensive to make that adjustment, yet I'm not sure I see it happening at my shop.

 

[DanOregon]

I know most papers have raised their mileage rates, but I'm wondering if carriers, as "independant contractors" have to eat the gas or can they deduct it as a business expense.

 

[BrianGriffin]

I know most papers have raised their mileage rates, but I'm wondering if carriers, as "independant contractors" have to eat the gas or can they deduct it as a business expense.

It is very much tax deductible. I just read where the federal rate is up to 50.5 cents a mile. That means if your paper is giving you the standard 30-32 cents, you can claim the remaining 18.5-20.5 on your tax return.

 

[Twoback]

The likes of Singleton and Zell are doing their part, to be sure. But if and when a newspaper's obituary is written (probably on a craigslist post), coroners may determine skyrocketting gas prices to be the ultimate cause of death.
Gas prices are killing the business on multiple fronts, draining already shrinking household incomes, and creating a trickle-up effect that hurts retailers who no longer can afford to advertise to the few remaining readers we have.
But for those of us living on barely subsistence wages (I'm guessing about 90 percent of us), $4.20 a gallon is creating major hardship. If you commute 40 miles to work - and many of us have travel further - five times a week, you're spending $400 a month in a car that averages 20 mpg. That's almost five grand a year, that you have to earn about $7,000 (pretax) to cover. If you have bridge/tunnel tolls, it's even worse.
Exacerbating the problem is reduced travel, that's ostensibly cut our salary.
There seems to be no relief in sight. $5 gas doesn't appear to be far off, and $10-12 in years to follow.
And considering the precarious state of our industry, I'm not sure this is the best time to be asking for a raise.
Only idea I can come up with is editors cutting us a little more slack, allowing us to telecommute.

40 miles commute x 5 days per week = 200 miles x 4 weeks month = 800 miles/20 miles per gallon = 40 gallons of gas at 20 miles per gallon x 4.00 gallon = $160 a month.
Is my math off?
Or are you talking 40 miles each way?
If you live 40 miles from your job, you've made a mistake somewhere along the line.

 

[FileNotFound]

I think Chigur was referring to 40 miles round trip, but it's not at all uncommon -- particularly if you live on the West Coast or in Texas -- to travel 40 miles one way.

 

[Some Guy]

I'm not buying the apocalypse scenario when it comes to gas prices. eventually, they will price themselves out of the marketplace, and prices will *have* to come down. It's how economics works.

Anybody who tries to sell gas for $10 a gallon won't for very long. Nobody will buy it, because they can't, and the gas companies will be stuck with tanks full of gas.

People are going to get wise to this hybrid thing. On a recent road trip for the paper, I rented a Prius. Drove around LA for four days and used like 2 1/2 gallons of gas. I need to get me one of these things.

People are going to begin to rely on public transportation more, where available.

People are going to quit taking unnecessary car trips, combining errands and such. I've already begun to do this. "Wanna go out to eat tonight?" "Nah, I'd rather not spend the gas."

All of the above will combine to help bring down gas prices at some point. Right?

 

[armageddon]

The likes of Singleton and Zell are doing their part, to be sure. But if and when a newspaper's obituary is written (probably on a craigslist post), coroners may determine skyrocketting gas prices to be the ultimate cause of death.
Gas prices are killing the business on multiple fronts, draining already shrinking household incomes, and creating a trickle-up effect that hurts retailers who no longer can afford to advertise to the few remaining readers we have.
But for those of us living on barely subsistence wages (I'm guessing about 90 percent of us), $4.20 a gallon is creating major hardship. If you commute 40 miles to work - and many of us have travel further - five times a week, you're spending $400 a month in a car that averages 20 mpg. That's almost five grand a year, that you have to earn about $7,000 (pretax) to cover. If you have bridge/tunnel tolls, it's even worse.
Exacerbating the problem is reduced travel, that's ostensibly cut our salary.
There seems to be no relief in sight. $5 gas doesn't appear to be far off, and $10-12 in years to follow.
And considering the precarious state of our industry, I'm not sure this is the best time to be asking for a raise.
Only idea I can come up with is editors cutting us a little more slack, allowing us to telecommute.

Not to be your editor but it's FARTHER, not FURTHER.

Gracias.

 

[WS]

I'm not buying the apocalypse scenario when it comes to gas prices. eventually, they will price themselves out of the marketplace, and prices will *have* to come down. It's how economics works.

Anybody who tries to sell gas for $10 a gallon won't for very long. Nobody will buy it, because they can't, and the gas companies will be stuck with tanks full of gas.

People are going to get wise to this hybrid thing. On a recent road trip for the paper, I rented a Prius. Drove around LA for four days and used like 2 1/2 gallons of gas. I need to get me one of these things.

People are going to begin to rely on public transportation more, where available.

People are going to quit taking unnecessary car trips, combining errands and such. I've already begun to do this. "Wanna go out to eat tonight?" "Nah, I'd rather not spend the gas."

All of the above will combine to help bring down gas prices at some point. Right?

That's what we've been doing, consuming less gas. Yet, when "analysts" boast to the Associated Press how much they think oil is going to rise, it rises.

 

[TheMethod]

I'm not buying the apocalypse scenario when it comes to gas prices. eventually, they will price themselves out of the marketplace, and prices will *have* to come down. It's how economics works.

Anybody who tries to sell gas for $10 a gallon won't for very long. Nobody will buy it, because they can't, and the gas companies will be stuck with tanks full of gas.

People are going to get wise to this hybrid thing. On a recent road trip for the paper, I rented a Prius. Drove around LA for four days and used like 2 1/2 gallons of gas. I need to get me one of these things.

People are going to begin to rely on public transportation more, where available.

People are going to quit taking unnecessary car trips, combining errands and such. I've already begun to do this. "Wanna go out to eat tonight?" "Nah, I'd rather not spend the gas."

All of the above will combine to help bring down gas prices at some point. Right?

That's what we've been doing, consuming less gas. Yet, when "analysts" boast to the Associated Press how much they think oil is going to rise, it rises.

As the demand decreases, so will the price. Remember, though, it's a global market. China and India are more or less in the throughs of their own industrial revolutions.